Fear of Forsakenness. Psalm 22:1-31

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell Fear of Forsakenness Psalm 22:1-31

2 2 Text: Psalm 22:1-31, Fear of Forsakenness 1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2. O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. 4. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. 6. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. 7. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8. "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." 9. Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. 10. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God. 11. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

3 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. 19. But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. 20. Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. 21. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. 22. I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. 23. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24. For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 25. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will fulfill my vows. 26. The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him may your hearts live forever! 27. All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28. for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. 29. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn for he has done it. (NIV)

4 4 Introduction: I. The second part of the title translates aijeleth shahar, the meaning of which is obscure. A. It is usually translated hind of the morning or something similar. B. The phrase has been variously understood as a tune to which the song was sung, the name of a musical instrument, or enigmatic expression of the subject. C. In the latter case, the sufferer is being likened to a hind pursued by hunters early in the morning. II. Because Jesus, on the cross, quoted verse 1a (Mt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34) and applied it to himself, this psalm can be considered in part a Messianic Psalm, a sub-group of Royal Psalms. A. Psalm 22:1, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? (NIV) B. Matthew 27:46, About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (NIV) C. Mark 15:34, And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (NIV) III. In its original context, the psalmist is writing about himself. A. His description of his suffering and his prayers mark the psalm as a literary psalm of lament and petition.

5 5 IV. Old Testament persona, institutions, or events often become types of Christ, the church, or some event in the life of Christ or the church. A. The type only indicates a shadow of things to come (Heb. 8:5; 10:1). 1. Hebrews 8:5, They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." (NIV) 2. Hebrews 10:1, The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. (NIV) B. The complete fulfillment is only to be found in the New Testament. C. The type may be a prophecy or an historical incident, but if it has significance for Christ and/or the church, it may be considered in the New Testament as prophetic. D. In the latter situation, it would be an indirect rather than direct prophecy about Christ. E. Only those verses that are treated in the New Testament as messianic will be so treated in these commentaries. F. The psalm should be interpreted first in its immediate context and then in the New Testament context.

6 6 V. This intense and vivid language is employed in the New Testament to describe the Lord s sufferings (cf. Psalm. 22:7 with Mark 15:29; Matthew 27:39; Psalm 22:8 with Matthew 27:43, Luke 23:35-36; Psalm 22:18 with Mark 15:24; Matthew 27:35; Luke 23:34; John 19:24). A. Psalm 22:7, All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: (NIV) B. Mark 15:29, Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, (NIV) C. Matthew 27:39, Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads. (NIV) D. Psalm 22:8, "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." (NIV) E. Matthew 27:43, He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"(NIV) F. Luke 23:35, 36, The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar. (NIV) G. Psalm 22:28, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. (NIV) H. Mark 15:24, And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. (NIV) I. Matthew 27:35, When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (NIV)

7 7 J. Luke 23:34, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (NIV) K. John 19:24, "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. (NIV) L. Care must be exercised in taking parts of the psalm not cited in the New Testament to be predictive of the Lord (as is sometimes done in the case of Psalm 22:27) Ash, LWCOT. 1. Psalm 22:17, I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. (NIV) Commentary: Plaintive Prayer (vv.1-2). Psalm 22:1, 2, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. (NIV) I. These verses express a lament over the lack of divine answer to unceasing prayer. A. Jesus did not apply the entirety of these words to himself (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), for Jesus did not feel that God s forsakenness of Him was of long standing.

8 Matthew 27:46, About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (NIV) 2. Mark 15:34, And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (NIV) B. Shortly before His death, Jesus remarked in a remarkable intercessory prayer that he was thankful that God had heard Him as He always did (John 11:41, 42). 1. John 11:41, 42, So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." (NIV) C. Verse 2 is written in synonymous parallelism. 1. The phrases, by day and by night, indicate unceasing prayer. 2. The phrase, so far, used twice in verse 1, likewise indicates God s failing to heed his prayer over a long time. Past deliverance of Israel (vv. 3-5). Psalm 22:3-5, Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. (NIV)

9 9 I. In contrast to the unanswered prayers of the psalmist, he now recalls the fact that God answered the prayers of Israel in the past. A. Because they put their trust in God, he delivered them when they cried to Him, instead of disappointing them. 1. The implication is that the psalmist here has a trust equal to theirs, yet his prayers go unanswered. B. Enthroned (v. 3a) alludes to God as Israel s king, a concept employed many times in the Old Testament (cf. Psalm 24:7-10). 1. Psalm 24:7-10, Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty he is the King of glory. Selah(NIV) C. God s designation as the Holy One is also a familiar expression (cf. Psalm 78:41; 89:18). 1. Psalm 78:41, Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. (NIV) 2. Psalm 89:18, Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. (NIV) 3. As the Holy One, God is to be revered, worshiped and obeyed.

10 10 His claim to trust mocked (vv. 6-8). Psalm 22:6-8, But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." (NIV) I. The mocking of Christ (v. 7) in Mark 15:29 may be an allusion to this experience of the psalmist. A. Mark 15:29, Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, (NIV) II. Verse 8 is likewise reflected (Matthew 27:43; Luke 23:35-36). A. Matthew 27:43, He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"(NIV) B. Luke 23:35, 36, The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar. (NIV) III. The psalmist is obviously speaking of himself. A. Apparently, the psalmist s claim to trust in God is genuine; his enemies are falsely accusing him of hypocrisy. The genuineness of his trust (vv. 9-11). Psalm 22:9-11, Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon

11 11 you; from my mother's womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. (NIV) I. This paragraph mixes his declaration of trust based on God s lifelong blessing (vv. 9, 10) with a petition for present healing (v. 11). II. As is the case in Psalms 20 and 21, so here human trust and divine blessing are intermingled. Description of his troubles (vv ). Psalm 22:12-18, Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. (NIV) I. Numerous metaphors of destruction are employed to paint vivid pictures of his troubles, including bulls, lions, and dogs. A. Verse 12 employs synonymous parallelism, which form does not advance the thought but stays the mind on a single thought for emphasis. 1. Bulls and strong bulls form word pairs, as do surround me and encircle me. Bashan was known for its cattle (Numbers 32:1ff; Deuteronomy 32:14; Amos 4:1). a. Numbers 32:1-5, The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the

12 12 lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon- the land the LORD subdued before the people of Israel are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan." (NIV) b. Deuteronomy 32:14, with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat. You drank the foaming blood of the grape. (NIV) c. Amos 4:1, Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!" (NIV) B. Verses employs progressive parallelism in which the second line of poetry completes the thought begun in the first line. 1. Water and wax (v. 14) are used as metaphors of instability. C. Verses 15 and 16 are structured as climactic triplets involving three lines each, the first two of which, in this case, are synonymous, and the third line adds something to the thought. 1. Vicious dogs were a common sight in ancient oriental cities.

13 13 D. Verse 17 might be alluded to in Luke 23: Luke 23:35, The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." (NIV) E. Verse 18 is reflected in Mark 15:24; Matthew 27:35; Luke 23:34; John 19: Mark 15:24, And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. (NIV) 2. Matthew 27:35, When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (NIV) 3. Luke 23:34, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (NIV) 4. John 19:24, "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. (NIV) Resumption of his petition (vv ). Psalm 22:19-21, But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. (NIV) I. The concept of God s being far off (v. 19a), that is, not listening to his call for help, is repeated from verse 1.

14 14 A. God appears unwilling to come to his help (v. 19b). B. The metaphors of vicious dogs and ravenous lions are repeated here (vv. 20, 21; cf. vv. 13 and 16). C. The sword (v. 20a) and the dogs (v. 20b) form a word pair here, the latter being explained by the former. D. A third metaphor, that of the horns of the wild oxen (v. 21b), is added here. 1. The connotation is the same as that for bulls. Anticipated deliverance and a call to praise (vv ). Psalm 22:22-31, I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn for he has done it. (NIV)

15 15 I. The tenor of this section changes drastically from that of lament and petition to a declaration of praise for anticipated deliverance. A. He also exhorts others to praise God. II. Verse 22 may be alluded to in the New Testament in Hebrews 2:12. A. Hebrews 2:12, He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." (NIV) B. The New Testament uses the concept to emphasize Christ s willingness to live on man s plain (cf. Heb. 2:14-18). 1. Hebrews 2:14-18, Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (NIV) III. The psalmist uses brothers and congregation as a word pair to indicate his public proclamation of his praise of God. A. This concept is repeated in verse 25. B. The purpose is to engage others in the praise of God (v. 23). IV. The reason for praise is that God has provided help (v. 24).

16 16 V. Those who fear the Lord (vv. 23a, 25b) are those who revere him (v. 23c), that is, those who honor Him for who He truly is one who condescends to answer with aid. VI. All the ends of the earth (v. 27a) and all the families of the nations (v. 27b) are synonymous hyperboles (exaggerations used for intensive effect) of the widespread reach of God s love. VII. The universal dominion of the Lord (v. 28) enables Him to reach all in need, both the poor (v. 26a) and the rich (v. 29a). VIII. Even in death, God will be praised (v. 29b, c), and posterity (v. 30a) yet unborn (v. 31b) will join the chorus. IX. The confidence of the psalmist is as amazing as is his lamentation touching. Application. I. The importunate prayers of the righteous eventually will be answered according to God s will and way. II. Man s sense of his need and God s are not always in synch, so we must not grow weary in our petitions, and we must pray for God s will, not necessarily ours, to be done (cf. Luke 18:1-8; 1 John 5:14-15). A. Luke 18:1-8, Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets

17 17 justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (NIV) B. 1 John 5:14, 15, This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of him. (NIV)

18 18 Questions Psalm 22:1-31 (Questions based on NIV text) 1. What does, To the tune of The Doe of the Morning mean? 2. What connection can be made between Psalm 22:1 and Jesus? 3. What is the original application of Psalm 22? 4. What is a type? What is an antitype? Name as many examples of types as you can.

19 In what way and to what extent can Psalm 22 be said, in whole or in part, to be Messianic? 6. How are the Lord s sufferings described in Psalm 22:7, 18 and in the New Testament? 7. What point does Ash make in reference to Psalm 22:17 and the correct use of Old Testament scriptures to refer to Christ? 8. What was the author s concern in Psalm 22:1, 2? 9. What is synonymous parallelism? Give examples from Psalm 22 of synonymous parallelism.

20 Why had God answered Israel s prayers in the past? Why had God not answered the psalmist s prayers? 11. God is said to be as s and to be the who is to be, and. 12. What connection is there between Psalm 22:7 and 8 and New Testament references to Christ s experiences? 13. Was the psalmist sincere? What upset him? 14. and are intermingled in Psalms 20 and 21. Psalm 22:9-11 mixes based on s

21 21 with a for. 15. Give examples of metaphors of destruction, synonymous parallelism, and metaphors of instability. 16. Define metaphor and progressive parallelism. 17. Define climactic triplets and give examples of this literary technique. 18. How is Psalm 22:18 reflected in the New Testament? 19. Did the psalmist in verses view God as near or far off? How do you regard God s presence, near or far off?

22 How does the tenor of verses differ from the tenor of verses 1-21? 21. Specify the connection, if any, between verse 22 and Hebrews 2:12, What is the purpose of the use of brothers and congregation in verse 22? 23. Why does the psalmist say God is to be praised? (see verse 24)

23 Who are those who fear the Lord? 25. How did the psalmist describe the widespread reach of God s love?_ 26. The of the enables him to reach all in, both the and the. 27. Even in, will be and will join the. 28. What is one application of Psalm 22? 29. What is a second lesson we learn from Psalm 22?

24 The of the is as amazing as is his.